O' Of All The Luck
by Avelyn Lauren
Summary: Nancy has been shot at, and an old enemy is out from jail. Wait until you find who it is. I have revised chapter 5. NF Romance and mystery. Enjoy!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters on here. Only the Stratmeyer company does. I hope you enjoy it and enjoy. Don't forget to R&R.  
  
She ducked behind the trash can. I'm not even on a case and they are shooting at me. Good there is some good cover. She took a lid off of one of the trashcans and used it as shield against the flying bullets only to be met by a bunch of halogens at the end of the alley. Oh great! Now I have to attend with these jerks. "Now we have her." She heard an oddly familiar voice. It can't be. He's still in..  
Flashback "How could you?" She looked at him not even bothering trying to hide the pain that she was in. "I don't have to answer that." He had learned to not look at her when he didn't want her to know what was going through his head. She was too good at what she did to do that. "Maybe you don't but a lot of people were counting on you." We barely survived today. "I am tired of being second." He whispered as he passed her.  
End flashback  
  
"Let's go." They started yelling. Sirens were coming from a block away. One glance confirmed her fear. How did he get out? His parents hated me after he was put in jail. "Detective are you alright?" She shook her head that she was.  
  
"What happened Nan?" The pretty blond haired girl asked looking at her engagement ring on her finger. She really was concerned about Nancy but she still couldn't believe that she was going to get married in one week. Nancy was the one that would have been married if it hadn't been for.. "I was going down the alley to reach the gas station on the other side of the street because my car had run out of gas for some reason. I know that I had just filled it up." She had the police check out her light blue convertible for anything wrong when they arrived at the police station. The gas line had been cut small enough that it wouldn't be noticed until later but it was still there. George walked in at that time. Her hair had been grown out just to mid- neck and she had a baby in her arms that was squirming to get down and play. "I can't believe that you're going to be here all by yourself next week Nan." Bess looked at her cousin. George had become a respected climber in the last few years and could beat any guy at any sport. Even her husband but she occasionally allowed her husband win and he knew that. He didn't mind so much due to the fact that he could out do George in almost everything else but case solving. Bess knew that the odds were pretty much evened out when you counted that he taught science in the high school. "Just a blast from the past showed up tonight shooting at me." Nancy answered taking her Goddaughter from George. "Who's out of jail?" George asked not really surprised. Nancy had been solving cases since she was 16. "Ned." Is all that needed to be said between her and her friends.  
  
"Come on. The plane is waiting for us." Frank called to his younger brother. "Like that plane of yours isn't going to wait another five minutes." Joe called out of his room. He had some last minute things that he needed to get a hold pf before he left. "I'll be in the plane." Frank left his apartment and went upstairs to where the plane sat. "I don't understand why you like to fly in planes so much. Didn't you lose Callie in some kind of crash?" Frank chose to ignore his brother and shut the cockpit when Joe joined him. "I like that feeling of the freedom that comes when you fly. I don't get that freedom when I drive a car." Frank was concentrating on the liftoff. Whether Joe liked it or not he was learning to fly as well because he would be sitting in the copilot's seat. "It's a good thing this is quiet. We'd wake up the neighbors at the times that you like to fly." Joe laid his head back and rested. He was still tired and had not slept much last night. "It's a wonder nobody has ever said anything about this thing being up here." Frank muttered more to himself than to anyone.  
  
After sitting down in his seat a while Joe was about to get up when Frank ordered him not to. They were about to land. "Isn't this.." 


	2. Past

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Simon & Schuster and Stratmeyer Syndicate do. I wish I did because they sure are a lot of fun to write.  
  
Thanks Neonlights for your very encouraging review. That definitely lets me know that I'm going in the correct direction here. I can't write on the book that I'm writing. I have to type up all of the handwritten pages. I just got my own computer a few weeks ago. Oh and I have definitely read the supermysteries. You're right they do rock.  
  
Lord Dreadnault don't kill me for using one of your ideas as to the head of The Network. For those of you with questions you must read the Fairchild Affair and not forget to R&R.  
CHAPTER 2  
  
"Yep, and we're going into see what he wants of us today." Frank gently put his plane down.  
"He couldn't have told us over the phone?" Joe asked irritated.  
"No he couldn't have. Now will you stop complaining and come on." The security guard was on the roof waiting for them.  
"You couldn't come up with a better way to come could you." The man asked as they were greeted by his daughter at the door.(Look you her name in The Fairchild Affair.)  
"Hi, Frank!" she was excited. She had never seen Frank's plane but to her it was a beauty. "Could you take me up when you get done?"  
She turned to Joe settling down only slightly. The last time that she had seen him he was leaving after they rescued her. "How are you?"  
"Come on Romeo you can flirt with her later." Frank led the way down the stairs and into the office where they were expected.  
"Frank, Joe, how are you two doing?" Frank answered the question wondering what they had been called for.  
Joe looked at his boos and took a seat. "What are we here for?" Joe asked he was still a little grumpy from being dragged out of bed. 


	3. Known Terrorist

Disclaimer: Okay guys you know the drill I don't own them I just like to write them.  
  
I had no idea that so many people would be thrilled at the idea that there was an evil Ned in this story. I will definitely be staying along these lines. I have a few ideas that I'm going to use to get Frank and Nancy together but I wouldn't mind seeing some more ideas come out of this.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________  
  
Nancy was waiting on the airfield for someone to land. She didn't know who but she did know that they were from the network because it was Mr. Fairchild that had called. A cargo plane landed blowing her hair every which way. Who could be coming that owns a plane? She waited for the plane to stop and for the hatch to open.  
Frank stepped out of the door. "FRANK!" She was very surprised at his appearance. He only stared at her for a moment. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. He didn't see his brother come up behind him as he embraced the strawberry blond woman that now stood before him. There was the familiar feeling of tingling when he was around her. Even at the glance of her blue eyes that sent shivers down his whole being. He didn't show it though. He had become very good at appearing distant and Nancy really did notice that something was different. "Hey, I'm glad to see that the happy couple is back together." Joe received a laugh from Nancy and a glare from his older brother. Joe's hand went up defensively. "I was only making a joke Frank. You need to lighten up." He gave Nancy a hug. "How are you doing Joe?" She whispered as they pulled apart. "Doing good Nan. What's happening with George and Bess?" They left the plane and headed toward Nan's car. "Well George is a well known climber now and has a beautiful little girl named Nina. Bess is about to be married in a week." She informed them. She wasn't ready to discuss what was going on in the streets of Chicago anyways. "Bess is going to be married?!" Frank came out of what he was thinking about. "Nancy I didn't think that he was listening. He's right though. When did this happen?" Joe asked. "About six months ago." She answered. She pulled into the police station and went straight into business mode. "All my files are in here." She informed them as she was followed by the two men. They definitely weren't boys anymore. "So Nan, how does it feel to be the youngest detective on the force?" Joe joked as he passed by the head detective's office. Nancy only looked at Joe. "My boss thinks that it is something else that someone under the age of thirty actually made it into the office under him." She answered chuckling. Frank looked at her. Why do I still have these little vibes when I'm around her? I thought that I had achieved the distance needed to do this job. There was only regret with that thought because he didn't want her to get hurt because of him. That was why Callie had gotten killed three years ago. He didn't think about it as much as he used to but he always had the same dream every night. It was a given that he wasn't sleeping well. Nancy looked at Frank's face and it hurt to see what she saw in his eyes. She was handing the file to him but he didn't take. Joe took it and they all sat down. "This is the file that I have and the only information that I have as well." She started to say as the phone rang. "Detective Drew speaking." She paused for a moment before she said, "Oh, Mr. Fairchild." That was all that Frank needed to hear as he went to close the door. It wasn't a good idea that they knew Nancy sometimes worked for the Network. This done Nancy put it on speaker phone. "Frank, Joe, I'm happy that you two made it safe and sound. Here's what I need you to do. Frank and Nancy I need you two to go to San Francisco there's been reports that the leader is going there from Chicago. He will be meeting the head honcho over there and I don't know what else he will be doing. Joe I need you on surveillance and try not to get caught. I hear that the leader N.N. Chauven can very dangerous at times." Mr. Fairchild was informing them before Nancy's sharp intake. Frank and Joe looked at the young woman before them who had gone pale. "What's wrong, Nancy?" Frank asked. "N.N. Chauven is Ned Nickerson." She replied. "Ned!" They both looked at her in shock. How could her former boyfriend be the leader of this new terrorist group that they had to fight? The question ran through their minds as she sat down. "Tell us what happened." Joe asked not even paying attention to the fact that the phone was still on. She looked at the floor while she collected her thoughts. "Ned's parents died a long with Burt and Dave his long time college friends 3 years ago. They were all headed down to the lake on the weekend and an eighteen wheeler began to swerve. Twenty people were killed that day. Ned began drinking more and more eventually becoming very violent and we broke up because of it. It only became worse after that. A crime was starting and the tracks were being covered too well. When I finally solved the case and found out that Ned was behind all of it he was arrested. When he looked at me after I asked him why he said, 'I'm tired of coming in second.'" She had silent tears running down her eyes. "Nancy," a voice said over the phone, "you don't have to do this." "Mr. Fairchild, I have to do this. I'm the only one that knows him well enough to know what he might do." Nancy answered. "Okay, but Frank you have to keep an eye on her." He hung up the phone. Nancy was up out of the chair before they knew it and was headed out the door. "I have to find him. Joe I will make sure that you have access to what you need but you will need to go through my boss seeing that I will not be here." "Let's go we won't leave yet for another few hours. She'll have to pack but I have a feeling that she isn't headed home first." There was an unspoken agreement that she was going to be kept under watch by at least one of these brothers anyways.  
  
Nancy was walking the streets in her street clothes and it seemed that the streets were clearing as they passed by. Oh, oh, this can't be good. It seemed that the people that were in the streets knew that she was a cop. The boys stopped when they noticed that their friend had just tensed up even more than before...  
  
Sorry guys I have to go to work now and I thought that this would be a good cliffhanger. Let me know what you think of this sad little story. 


	4. Moonstruck Hotel

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just like to write them. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Brothers are owned by Simon & Schuster and Stratmeyer Inc.  
  
The boys just stopped when they noticed that their friend had tensed up even more than before.  
  
Joe was carefully shifting around being careful mot to make any noise. The silence that was all around them was deafening. In fact, it was a little too quiet. Frank looked at her as she started signaling them what to do. They had worked out these signals when they worked on cases all the time together.  
Joe was the first to be attacked but wasn't taken by surprise when they came toward him. There was a frenzy of kicks going all around them and they were having trouble fending them off. There were too many men coming toward them. Just as suddenly as they came on the attacks stopped. "What's going on?" Frank asked as he helped his brother up. "I don't know Frank. Where's Nancy?" Joe looked around to find no sign of the young woman that had come with them. Frank looked around as well finding a white piece of paper. "Hello, Hardy, I've been watching you. You'd better stay away from my fiancé. You'll soon regret the day that you ever laid eyes on her. N.N. Just what is he up to? Where does he think kidnapping Nan is going to get him? Then another even more dangerous thought accured to him. "Joe, let's find Nan." He suggested trying to hide the worry in his voice as they began searching with their pen lights. "Frank, I've found something." Joe called to him. Frank looked where Joe was looking. "Ned wouldn't be that stupid would he?" He dropped down on his knees to look at the next piece of paper. "The Moonstruck Hotel? Where is that?" Frank wondered aloud to himself. "I don't know. Doesn't Nancy's car have computer access?" Joe asked not really liking the name of the place. In one sense it was a romantic name but in another it had a sleazy kind of ring to it. Frank was already headed in that direction. Joe and Frank were browsing through Nancy's computer which they really suspected was more technical than most of the cars on the police force. That was probably a thank you to Mr. Fairchild had given her because it was a lot like theirs that they used. "Found it!" Frank was triumphant in finding the map that she kept of the city. They typed in the name of the place that they needed and found that the hotel was in a bad part of town. "Just as I thought." Joe muttered under his breath. Frank hot wired the car while Joe called into the station for backup and to give a report on what was going on. He didn't know how often Nan was supposed to check into her 'superior' but he sure found out awful fast when he had to pull the phone away from his ear. Frank grabbed the phone while he concentrated on driving the car. "Sir we're on our way over to see to this right now. Will you send the backup that Joe requested?" Frank was irritated but understood the man's reaction. "They're already on their way. Don't you two allow anything to happen to her." There was a threat in his voice that sounded like there was more to this than boss and employee. "We're here. Let's be very careful." Frank looked around and found a woman that was dressed a little too low in station in the middle of the night. "My name is Frank Dixon and I need your assistance with something." The woman looked at him and just put on the most seductive smile he had ever seen from anyone at all. "Sure, Honey, there's a hotel right behind us that would be glad to allow us entrance." Frank was disgusted as he guided her into the hotel. Joe was canvassing the perimeters of the building looking for extra outs and exits to the place. "I'd like a room please." He placed a 50 on the counter. "Yes sir." As he walked down the halls he could hear all the sounds that were coming from behind the doors. The walls needless to say were paper thin and anything could be heard through them. His eyes riveted to a spot on the floor only to see a familiar looking watch. She's in that room. The man stopped at the next door and opened it. Something caught his attention as it moved by the door. "No! Frank yelled making a jump for the man. He heard evil laughter in the background as he rolled off the man that he had just saved. "Ned?" Frank questioned as he saw a familiar man. He had changed. Instead of being kind and happy there was a look of contempt in his eyes as he held a gun to the woman's head that Frank had picked up off the streets. "Will you look at this?" Ned paused, "it seems that you planned on cheating on your girlfriend." Frank tried to make a dash for him and the door was opened. Right before his eyes was an unconscious Nancy with torn clothes tied to a chair and a bomb tied around her where the ropes were. There was thirty seconds left before it went off.  
  
What's going to happen next? Hmmmmmmmmm... I guess you'll have to read the next chapter to find out. Sorry it's so short but this is definitely a good cliffhanger. You know the drill. You must read and give an honest review of what you think. 


	5. Frank's past

Disclaimer: I tired of saying this over and over. I do not own them. Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys are owned by Stratmeyer Syndicate Inc. and Simon and Schuster. Since we all know this I will not be saying it again.  
  
Frank tried to make a dash for him and the door was opened. Right before his eyes was an unconscious Nancy with torn clothes, tied to a chair and a bomb tied around where the ropes were.  
There was thirty seconds left before it went off.  
  
Frank yelled to Joe, "Joe get everyone out of here now."  
  
Joe could hear Frank and was in the middle of a fight with their former friend. He stopped and started leading the fight outdoors because he knew that the people were watching and he could get them safely out the door.  
  
"Come on Nancy you have to wake up." Frank was muttering under his breath as he had to carefully choose the wire to cut. If he cut the wrong wire he could kill them all and that wouldn't be good for anyone concerned. The decision seemed to take forever but it really wasn't as he finally cut the blue wire that was right by the red and green one. Frank closed his eyes waiting for the bomb to go off and let out the breath that he had been holding when it didn't go off.  
  
Joe was getting throw one final blow to his opponent who had become quite good at fighting in the last few years when a car came and opened its door allowing entrance for Ned. "Hey come back here!" Joe yelled.  
  
Joe turned around to see Frank walk out of the hotel with Nancy in his arms. She still was unconscious. Joe was about to say something when the requested backup arrived.  
  
"What took you guys so long?" Joe asked his temper sparking as he saw them. He was still a little upset about the fact that Ned had gotten away.  
  
"Traffic." The simple answer was as the officers looked at Nancy in Franks arms. "I think that we need to get her to the hospital." The young officer commented.  
  
Frank only glared at him like he was stupid. "I know that." Will you get these people out of the way?" It wasn't a question. It was an order and they carried it out. Frank at the moment wasn't to be messed with.  
  
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Nancy began coming around in the car on the way to the hospital. "Nan, how do you feel?" He didn't take his eyes off the road because the traffic really was bad and they had to deep from hitting any cars. The police siren wouldn't have helped in this traffic.  
  
"I have a headache the size of Manhattan." She grumbled. "Where are we going?"  
  
"To the hospital." Frank did something he hadn't done in a long time. He smiled at her.  
  
"I don't want to go to the hospital." She protested only as she could.  
  
"You don't have a choice." His detached self had shown up again and he wasn't about to smile.  
  
"Why do I not have a choice?" She responded raising her voice slightly making her headache worse.  
  
"I've already lost one person I care about. I'm not ready to lose any more." He was still grim about what he said to her.  
  
She didn't say anything. He was going to draw back from her again and she didn't' want him to do that.  
  
"Thank you Frank." Nancy wished there was something that she could do for him.  
  
"You're welcome Nan." He kept his eyes on the road. They were pulling into the hospital at that time.  
  
Nancy was released from the doctor's office with a clean bill of health an hour later. "I hate seeing doctors. Let's get my stuff packed and head out." She asked imploringly.  
  
"Frank, are you sure you know how to fly?" Nancy asked sitting in the seat that was probably Joe sat in it.  
  
Frank looked at her. "You sure you know how to detect?" He retorted back being sarcastic. He was more irritated than anything else.  
  
She held her hands up in mock defense. "Just checking."  
  
After a while Frank put the plane on auto pilot. Before he laid his head down he heard, "Frank do you mind if I fly for a while?"  
  
"Nan do you really know how to fly?" He asked as he watched her pull out her wallet and showed him her pilot i.d.  
  
When he saw that he chuckled and moved so that she could transfer seats with him. "Now I'm going to get some rest before we get there."  
  
"Where's Callie, Joe?" Frank asked when he looked around not finding his fiancée.  
  
"I don't know Frank. She was right here when the fight started. We're not even a case and we're being attacked for no apparent reason." Joe commented.  
  
"I think that we need to find out who's out of jail and take it from there." Frank made his way to their custom van so that they could access the computer that they had just installed in it.  
  
"This isn't good. It's Androa Newman." Frank muttered, "He's out for revenge."  
  
Two weeks had passed and they not seen hide nor hair of Androa or anyone else that they had put in prison.  
  
The phone rang and both of the boys jumped. They had been working overtime trying to find anyone that could tell them anything but they couldn't find a thing like the trail had gone cold. "I want to see you at the bridge today at 1:00."  
  
At the bridge Frank ran up to see Callie dangling from the bridge. The only echoing through his mind at this moment in time was, "Don't you know that you shouldn't have any attachments to anyone in your line of work."  
  
Callie was dropped and shot in front him. "Callie, no!"  
  
"We're sorry Mr. Hardy. We weren't able to save your wife or your baby." The nurse had assumed they were married.  
  
"We're not married. We were getting ready to be though." Something else that she had said sunk through. "She was pregnant?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, she was two months."  
  
Frank felt someone shaking him. "Frank! Frank!"  
  
"Nan?" He shook himself awake.  
  
Nancy looked to see there were tears in his eyes. "Frank you must have had a really sad night mare." She was stating the obvious more or less trying to get him to talk to her.  
  
She let him cry on her shoulder when he found that he couldn't control the tears.  
  
I revised this chapter. I was told that it was a little confusing with the scene jumping and when I read it again I could see what they were talking about. I hope this helps. You know the drill R&R and give me an honest review. 


	6. Restlessness

Thanks for all of the reviews that you have given. I love to read them and it helps me with my writing. Anyways you know the drill read and review when you get through. Remember that it must be an honest one.  
  
Frank felt someone shaking him. "Frank! Frank!" "Nan?" he shook his himself awake. Nancy looked to see there were tears in his eyes. "Frank you must have had a really sad nightmare." She was stating the obvious more or less to try to get him to talk to her. She let him cry in her shoulder when he found that he couldn't control the tears.  
  
Joe was bored to tears on this surveillance. He had sat in a car watching the hide out where they were told all the action was going down. It wasn't as if he didn't have a partner and someone to replace them in a couple of hours. They just gave him a man for a partner. He appeared to be normal but there was just something about him that gave him the heebie-jeebies.  
  
"Here's your food. The officer told him.  
  
"There's nothing going on here. It's almost like they want us to watch this place while they go somewhere else. I'm going out to have a look. Maybe I can pick up some clues as to what is going on." Joe commented as he looked down the alley to make sure that there was no one coming. He hadn't even heard the man say a thing about food.  
  
"I'll go with you." The officer announced as he reached for is door handle.  
  
"No that's alright. Someone needs to stay here in case something happens on the police monitor." Joe was gone before the man could say Jiminy Cricket.  
  
Joe looked up and down the alley for an opening leading on the building or something that would keep his hands busy. As he headed toward the back he did find an entrance and looked through the windows to see if there was any movement on the inside. He couldn't see any at all. "Well I think I will go in and look."  
  
Joe picked the lock to open the door. "At least I still have it. I haven't had to pick a lock since we started working for Fairchild." He muttered. There were boxes all around him. They were perfect for hiding if someone were to come in to find that he was there snooping. Out of curiosity he opened one with his knife that he kept with him. No surprise here. He looked at the crate next to the one that he just opened. I think that I'll open that one as well. Something in his gut was telling him to do it anyways.  
  
He opened that box to find more than the drugs that he had just seen in the other crate. Joe gingerly touched the binding of an apparently new book and opened it.  
  
"I can't read this but I bet I know someone who can." Joe whispered. The sandy blond was getting up as he heard someone entering.  
  
"The boss wants to have all of these boxes out of here in two hours. Says that it's getting too dangerous. He believes that someone might be watching." A deep voice said.  
  
"You sure that it's the boss or his second." The man was a more than a little wary of either one of them.  
  
"I think that it's Chauven. I tell you that I don't like him." The deep voiced man commented. "What was up with kidnapping that girl anyways?"  
  
"I think that they at one time were lovers or something. When she looked at him I didn't see any fear in her eyes. It was just pure hatred."  
  
"You maybe right. She also..." They walked through the door on the other side of the room.  
  
I gotta get out of here. Why were they talking about Nancy unless they happened to see her? They don't even know the extent of the situation. I have to give Ned this though he definitely a hard worker. He became second in a matter of years.  
  
Joe somehow managed to get out the door and to the car and he wasn't sure how but he wasn't complaining. He found what he wanted.  
  
Frank was seating himself comfortably in the pilot's seat when they felt some turbulence around the plane causing Nancy to fall backward and into Frank's lap. Frank acted without even thinking when he reached up and balanced her. He could see Nancy blushing a little as she carefully climbed out of his lap and sat in her seat.  
  
"Sorry." She wasn't looking at him.  
  
"It's alright Nan." He dismissed it as quickly as it happened.  
  
"We're about to land." He went through the procedures and radioed the watch tower.  
  
They gave the okay to land as the two finished up what Nancy had to do on her side of the consul. She grinned to herself trying to keep from laughing out loud.  
  
"What?" Frank noticed the look on her face.  
  
"I was thinking about Joe having to go through take down procedures on a plane. He doesn't like to sit in a car for too long, let alone messing with all the technical stuff. He knows quite a bit but he would still rather play with a computer than a plane." Nancy answered as her face all of a sudden became very serious. "Frank, I think that you have clocked more hours flying than I have. Tell me is this normal?" She pointed to the radar that was on.  
  
"Oh crap!" Frank muttered under his breath.  
  
Sorry guys I couldn't resist. A story would get awful boring if I didn't leave you hanging. I didn't do much on N/F this time but I will do more next time. 


	7. Dangers

Disclaimer: I'm sorry guys. I don't own them. I jus have fun writing them.  
  
Hey guys! How are you doing? I'm sorry how the story came out. When I opened my story on the site I could hardly followed it because all of the sentences were run together. I'm sorry about these guys because that is not the way that I originally wrote it. It also seems that I have lost chapter 2 so I can't make any corrections on it. It's only partially there. I promise that I will get everything corrected.  
  
You guys have to read and review. I won't have a clue hoe my writing is when you don't tell if it is good or bad.  
  
"What?" Frank noticed the look on her face.  
  
"I was thinking about Joe having to through take down procedures on a plane. Eh doesn't like to sit in a car for too long, let alone messing with all the technical stuff. He knows quite a bit. I think that he would still rather play with a computer than a plane." Nancy answered as her face all of a sudden went very serious. "Frank. I think that you have logged more flying time that I have. Is this normal?"  
  
"Oh, crap!" Frank muttered under his breath.  
  
Nancy looked at her friend that was beside her. "What do I do?"  
  
"We have to evade that missile that is coming toward us." He commanded her.  
  
"We have all the landing gear down and we're too low to do anything else." Nancy informed as she went through all the instruments on her part of the consul.  
  
"We'll have to land and hope for the best." Frank was giving a silent prayer in his heart.  
  
Nancy while not panicking was scared inside. We must be closer than we thought.  
  
The missile hit just to the right side of the plane. There was no loud boom though as they had braced themselves for the impact of the explosion.  
  
"I think that we're in the clear." Frank let put a breath that he hadn't know that he was holding.  
  
"I'm glad that we had all of the landing gear down or we would have been in a lot of trouble." Nancy was relaxing a little.  
  
"CG2." Someone said over the mike. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, we're fine." Nancy responded to the tower.  
  
"Let's get to the bottom of this." Frank took the luggage.  
  
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"Joe what have you found?" Frank put the phone on speaker.  
  
"They're moving the stuff that was in the boxes. I have a couple of samples from some of the crates that were there and there is a tracker in them to see where they are going to go." Joe could be heard fidgeting on the bed.  
  
"You sound like you did better than we did." Nancy commented as she sat by Frank on the bed.  
  
"I just might have." Joe was now pacing the floor. "I think that I'm going to try to get a plane over there."  
  
"We can meet you at the airport when you get here. Just call us and let us know when you arrive." Frank told his brother. "Before you go did you notify Fairchild at what is going on?"  
  
"Yeah, he is going over all the information and has the computer on all of the tracers."  
  
"We'll see you then." Nancy hung up the phone.  
  
"Well I guess we have some extra time. Let's go look at that bomb again. I'm sure that we missed something when we looked over it before." Frank was running his hands through his hair.  
  
Nancy took his hand from his hair. "Frank it'll be okay. Come on."  
  
No it won't be okay. My former fiancée is second in one of the worst terrorist groups that there is. She had her face to the floor hoping that Frank wouldn't see her face.  
  
Ned you're going to pay for what you're putting her through right now. Frank tightened his fingers around her hand.  
  
Frank and Nancy had carefully looked over the missile careful not to trigger anything that would be around. "Frank, I think that I found something." Nancy carefully removed a piece of paper that was tightly wedged in a crack.  
  
Frank looked over her shoulder to see what it said. "ESACEHTFFOYATS," over and over on the paper.  
  
"That doesn't make any sense." Nancy said more to herself than anyone else.  
  
"I know it doesn't but it sounds like they were trying to warn us off the case." Frank told her out loud.  
  
"I know." She didn't understand exactly what was going on but she knew that this did look awfully familiar. Where have I seen this before?  
  
Okay guys you know the drill I want a good and honest review.  
  
I need to have some more ideas about how get Frank and Nancy together. I have some but I want some more. Enjoy! 


	8. Talk

Disclaimer: I don't own them I just have a lot of fun writing them!  
  
Pitaqueen: Good job on noticing that!  
  
Katie Janeway: Thanks for all of your support!  
  
Lord Dreadnault: If you're reading this then I want to tell you to get that new chapter up that you've been working on. I've been waiting to read the next chapter for a while.  
  
Frank and Nancy had carefully looked over the missile careful not to trigger anything that would be around. "Frank I think that I found something." Nancy carefully removed a piece of paper that was tightly wedged ion the crack.  
  
Frank looked over her shoulder to see what it said. "ESACEHTFFOYATS," over and over on the paper.  
  
"That doesn't make sense." Nancy said more to herself than anyone else.  
  
"I know that it doesn't but it sounds like we are being warned off the case." Frank told her out loud.  
  
"I know." She didn't understand exactly what was going on bit she knew that did look awfully familiar. 'Where have I seen this before?"  
  
"What is it Nan?" Frank asked. She had been like this since they found the paper in the missile.  
  
"I don't know Frank. There is something about the way those words were written that seemed awful familiar to me and I can't put my finger on it." Just as she said this Joe came up to them.  
  
"What have you found out since we last talked?" Nancy was tired. She hadn't slept the night before.  
  
"I'm hungry can I tell you over lunch?" He asked.  
  
"Sure." Nancy chuckled. Only Joe would be hungry at all hours like this.  
  
"Nancy what's..." he had started to ask until he saw a blond walk across the parking lot with a tight skirt and a halter top.  
  
"Joe?" Frank asked when his brother didn't finish his question. He followed his gaze and groaned. "You will never change."  
  
Nancy turned off the car and shook her head. "No he won't." She agreed. He needs to find a girl that will make him chase her.  
  
Nancy went in reserving a table of three for them. Frank and Joe were trailing behind. "Hey, bro, how are you holding up?"  
  
"I'm doing better." Frank answered. He felt like disappearing sometimes when he thought about what happened to his fiancée.  
  
"Why don't you let anyone help you?" Joe asked to his big brother. He had been avoiding this subject with his brother but he knew that they wouldn't be able to skirt around it anymore. They had to face the situation because he didn't know how much longer they could go on like this. He missed the old comraderie that they used to share.  
  
"Guys, come on our table is ready." A female voice interrupted the conversation.  
  
"Coming Nan." Joe called.  
  
"Okay Joe what do you have?" Nancy asked after they ordered their food.  
  
"Well I know that this terrorist group that we are dealing with doesn't like the second, or Chauven as he refers to himself. The man that had been talking while I was hiding behind some of the crates said something about him being paranoid." Joe looked at Nan.  
  
"He should be paranoid. I don't understand how he became second so fast. It's only been three years." Nancy had paled as they talked about her former fiancée.  
  
She shouldn't have to go through this. Nan would have been better off if he had been killed in front of her very eyes. Frank looked at her and wished that he could help her with her pain.  
  
The table had just gone 10 degrees colder and it wasn't because it was beginning to get chilly outside. Joe was looking at his brother and their friend. I hope that the people that have hurt them never get to them because I don't know how to help them.  
  
The waitress showed up then with the food. Joe did a double take when he looked at her. It was the same woman that he had seen earlier go into the restaurant. He turned all the Hardy charm that he could. "Hi," he looked at her name tag, "Melissa, would you like to join us?"  
  
Frank and Nancy broke out of their thoughts when they heard this. The waitress looked at him like he was crazy. "No I have to work. Thank you though." She politely smiled.  
  
"Looks like you found the perfect girl Joe. The one who ignores all your charms." Nancy commented with a ghost of a smile. The depressed feeling that was hanging around the table slowly disappeared.  
  
Frank laughed at Nancy's comment and Joe scowled. "Hey, I haven't been on a date in a month because we have been working." He defended himself.  
  
Nancy had to laugh about that. "Only a month Joe?" She half asked as he choked on the shrimp that he had ordered.  
  
The depression that had been running around the table was gone now and Nancy told them all about her goddaughter. She told them about Bess's husband to be and that before she had left Bess had told to be sure that they were done with their work on time to be at the wedding.  
  
"We didn't bring anything to wear for this wedding that she is getting ready to have. We didn't even know that she was getting ready to get married." Joe whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry I guess we haven't been staying in contact very well with you guys since.." She stopped not feeling like eating anymore. "I'm ready to go home." She stated not thinking about the fact that they were out of town on a case.  
  
Frank threw his brother a look that said, "Take care of everything in here and I'll take care of her. Joe understood and did just that.  
  
Nancy knew that Frank would follow her out but didn't really want him to. "Frank, go away." She whispered.  
  
"I can't do that Nan." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
Nancy wouldn't admit that his arms brought her a little comfort anyways. "Why?"  
  
"Neither of us can keep on like we have. You used to work with us quite a bit and then you stopped talking to us." Nancy started to say something but he turned her around and shook his head. "Let me finish." He stated simply and she didn't say anything. "We were chosen to work together because we work flawlessly as a team. We can't do that though if we don't get our problems solved."  
  
"Look who's talking. Your fiancée was shot in front of you." Nancy whispered.  
  
She saw Frank cringe at that comment. "I know but I won't help the situation either. Do you really think that Joe is going to allow us to not talk about this? I wouldn't even let him go on as long as we have without talking about what happened to Iola. I finally sat down and made him talk. He isn't going to allow it to sit any longer and I can tell."  
  
Nancy was shocked. Frank had actually made Joe talk. If he had made Joe talk them what would Joe do to them?  
  
"Okay ready guys." Joe looked like he was content.  
  
"You must have finished eating everything else that was on the plates." Nancy said at the content look.  
  
"Yep. Thanks to my brother and his girlfriend needing to talk." Joe waited to see what the reaction would be.  
  
Frank clenched his jaw together. "So did you get the waitress's number?" Frank inquired as the three climbed into the rental.  
  
Joe looked rather grim in a boyish way. "No. She told me that I was a jerk and that she didn't want to see me."  
  
"Ouch. I bet she doesn't even know your name." Nancy started up the car.  
  
"Well Romeo it will be alright. There are other fish in the sea." Frank could feel his brother's glare on his back.  
  
"Where to now?" Joe questioned Nancy seeing that she was the one driving.  
  
"We're going to the hotel to drop off your bags and then we have some leads to follow." Nancy answered.  
  
On the drive to the hotel everything had become quiet as each of them was lost in his or her own thoughts.  
  
At the hotel Nancy checked to see if they had any messages and as luck had it they didn't.  
  
Joe carried his luggage upstairs and put it in their room. "Where does Nancy stay?" Joe asked out of curiosity.  
  
"In here." Frank's answer was short and to the point.  
  
"So have you and Nancy..." Joe began to say.  
  
"Joe you have a dirty mind. This is the only room that they had." Frank retorted hotly before he could even finish such a thought.  
  
Maybe I can trap them in a room somewhere and they actually have to talk. I know that they like each other and I want to see them together. Joe's thoughts were interrupted by Nancy coming in and dialing the phone. "Nan who are you calling?"  
  
"Bess. I want to know that she holding up alright. Her wedding is in four days and I also need to get George to pick up my gown." She finished dialing. While the phone rang she pulled out her suitcase to get some clothes out that she would need.  
  
"Hey, Bess, How are you doing?" Frank heard her and put on the speaker.  
  
"Nan was I just switched to the speaker?" Bess's voice came over as Nancy put the receiver on the phone.  
  
"Yeah, I think Frank wants to say 'hi.'"  
  
"You're with Frank!" Bess exclaimed as she called for George. "Where's Joe?"  
  
"I'm right here Bess." Joe sat on the other bed that was in the room.  
  
"Joe, are you coming to the wedding?" Bess was almost squealing.  
  
"We will definitely try." He promised.  
  
"Hey, what about me?" I'm the one that has to fly them back." Frank acted insulted.  
  
"You don't have to fly us back. I can fly just as well as you can." Nancy gently pushed him off the bed.  
  
"What was that? I heard a thump in there."  
  
"That was Nancy being mean." Frank threw Nancy a look that made her want to laugh. She knew that he would get her back later.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhh, is poor Frank being pushed around by a girl." Bess was giggling over the line.  
  
Joe was laughing silently at the two that were in front of him. He wondered what Frank would do to her later.  
  
"You're invited to Frank." Bess finally subsided her giggling enough to talk.  
  
"Bess I was wondering if you could pick up the dress I'm supposed to wear to you wedding." Nancy finally got the question out that she had originally called for.  
  
"Yeah. I can do that." She paused for a minute when she heard the door open and close. "That's George with your goddaughter Nan."  
  
"Ooohh, put them on the phone." Nancy heard the phone switch to speaker on the other end.  
  
Frank and Joe looked at her surprised at the eagerness in her voice to speak to George and that baby that they had yet to see.  
  
"Hi sweetie! How are you doing?" Nancy cooed as the two boys looked on in total shock. They had never seen her like this.  
  
They heard some kind of jabber on the other end that not one soul could have understood if they wanted too. All they could get was Na as the baby obviously called her.  
  
Nancy had completely forgotten about the two guys sitting in the hotel with her. She talked to her for a few minutes and then talked to George. "Hey, George, I was wondering if you could go down to my office and get a file faxed to me that I need."  
  
"Yeah, I can. What about your boss?" George knew that Nan was much better than her boss and that he was only over her because he had been working on the force longer than she had.  
  
"Tell him that I sent you. He'll only glower at you when you go into the office. He has the key though. I don't ever leave it unlocked when I'm not there." Nancy informed George.  
  
"That won't be a problem then." George was glad that she could do something to help. "I wish you would let me help you more. Ever since you found out I was pregnant with my daughter you wouldn't allow me to."  
  
"I don't want anything to happen to you George." Nancy responded. She could hear a tinge of sadness in the voice.  
  
"I know." Now the conversation was getting way too serious.  
  
"Hey, George, when do we get to see her?" Joe asked referring to her baby.  
  
"When you bring my best friend back safe and scratch free." George announced over the other line.  
  
"I can promise to bring her back safe but I don't know about scratch free." Frank spoke up.  
  
"At least you can try."  
  
Hey guys I wanted to put a cliffhanger in here but I don't think that worked out very well. I promise that I will leave you with one in the next chapter. I hope that this chapter wasn't too boring anyways.  
  
Anyways you know the drill give me a good and honest review. 


	9. Ned

Disclaimer: Okay guys I know that I've said this before but I don't own them! Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster as well.  
  
I know that I usually tell you what happened in the previous chapter but this chapter isn't going to have a lot to do with Nancy and Frank. The mystery yes but that is all I'm going to tell you.  
  
"Is Mr. Nickerson there?" A voice asked to Nancy through the screen door.  
  
"Yes, we're enjoying dinner. Would you like to come in and join us for dinner?" Nancy asked cordially.  
  
"Yes, Ms. Drew." He entered the living room and joined them at the table. Hannah put an extra plate at the table.  
  
"Chief, how are you doing?" Carson Drew asked. He had a suspicion that something was up and he wasn't sure what. He didn't think that it would be good though.  
  
"Everything is..."  
  
"Never mind. You can tell us after we get through eating." Hannah Gruen had taken care of the Nancy since she was three years old and she had pretty much become the leader of the household. There was not one not person even the police officers that popped over for there various reasons disputed her word. They all had learned to respect her.  
  
The dinner was over and Hannah was washing the dishes. Nancy had wanted to exit the room but she had been stopped with Ned's hand. "What is it officer?" Ned's deep voice looked imploringly at him. The police never asked to see him. They usually ask to see Nancy or her father.  
  
There was a shaky sigh and the tension in the room became even stronger. "Your parents were killed in a plane crash."  
  
(I can't seem to remember if it was a plane crash or a car wreck. I have lost some of the story shuffling around the files to where I needed them.)  
  
You could hear a pin drop in the room. There was no reaction from Ned as he walked out of the room and out of the house. Nancy was stunned when he left let alone after that announcement was made. He had to get out of there. It had just gotten to the point that he could no longer breathe.  
  
'How is it that my parents were killed today? They had just left to go on the first vacation and now they won't even be able to enjoy it.' His car seemed to go somewhere and he didn't exactly know how he had arrived at that spot.  
  
There was banging on the window of his car that was rather disturbing at the moment. It was disturbing enough when there wasn't a time like this.  
  
"Let us help you. You seem to be a little lost right now." The woman was seductive and in his state of mind he would have done anything at the moment.  
  
He followed her to a bar and accepted the drink that she handed him. He hadn't seen the little action that she made with the wrist. He drunk the champagne and had another drink. He never even noticed when the drinks became stronger or when he was taken upstairs led by the seductive woman. He couldn't even remember what it was that happened afterwards.  
  
Things began to change for him after that. He had begun to drink a lot and had become involved in little petty crimes that people would hardly take notice of. He had proved that he was capable of not getting caught somehow was moved up some. Nancy had known that he was up to something and had begun to get suspicious. He had changed and not for the best either. She had finally gotten tired enough of it that she kicked him out of her house and informed that he was never come to her house again. He had tried to force a proposal and a kiss on her with every intention to take it farther. She didn't let him. After that he only saw her when she did finally catch him on a video camera that he had missed during his security checks.  
  
She knew what he had been up to now and he wasn't up to any good. He didn't care anymore. He had lost it all and didn't try to keep it up. He met the leader of the terrorist group that he was in now there. He seemed to prove himself after severe questioning and tests that he was more than capable of not getting caught. He was given a second chance and became the second in the group.  
  
Nancy was thrashing about on the bed and couldn't sleep. Joe could sleep through anything but Frank was greatly disturbed when he found that she wasn't sleeping very well.  
  
"Nancy." He gently shook her.  
  
"No.... No... Ned why?" She asked when she heard someone talking to her thinking that she was talking to her former fiancée.  
  
Frank continued talking to her shaking her to get her attention. Finally when he couldn't wake her up he did the only other thing that he could think of. He touched his lips to her cheek and that woke her up.  
  
A groggy Nancy looked at him. Oh no, what did he hear and did I keep him awake? Nancy groaned as he helped her out of the bed and led her to the patio.  
  
Nancy was really glad that she had her long flannel gown on. Frank looked at her, "Nancy you're not sleeping well at all."  
  
"No, I'm not. I haven't slept well in three years." Nancy felt like she could talk to him about anything. "I'm sorry Frank I didn't mean to keep you awake."  
  
"I wasn't sleeping." He told her. He had taken her hand in his as they leaned over the railing.  
  
"Why?" She asked.  
  
"I just didn't feel like sleeping." He responded as he looked at how the moon shined on her hair and her sad face. 'She's beautiful.' Frank thought as she looked at him. He wasn't ready to tell her that he hadn't been sleeping well since he had lost his fiancée. She probably already knew that. " He barely heard what she whispered. "He was tired of coming in second." The look in her beautiful blue eyes and the sound of her voice were almost haunting.  
  
"Oh, Nancy." He whispered as he looked at her wanting to do more than give her a comforting hug.  
  
They stayed out there until it was time to wake Joe in the morning. Nancy went to take a shower and change while Frank went to wake his brother.  
  
Nancy's computer went off as some paper began to go through. He knew what it was that and that would keep them busy today.  
  
He was right. They were off right after breakfast. What breakfast that was eaten anyways. Joe was the only one that really had the heart to eat anything at all. Joe looked at Nancy. 'No wonder she looks like she's getting thinner. We've got to get this case solved. I don't like what it is doing to her.' His brother didn't eat much either. Frank had gotten to the point that he would drink a cup of coffee in the morning and do his workouts without eating until sometime in the afternoon.  
  
Nancy looked at the file in front of her while Frank drove to the police station. They needed to get more information on the terrorist group. "Frank I think that we won't find anything else out by talking to the police." Nancy informed him as she looked over the file. These files have the FBI seal. We wouldn't be able to find anything else."  
  
Frank looked at Nancy only to see her staring at somebody that was walking down the streets. "What is it Nan?" He was getting really worried because she was very pale.  
  
"Ned." It only took the one word.  
  
Okay guys I know that this chapter is kind of short. I'm sorry about that.  
  
PrincessSkywalker thank you for your review. I promise to put more N/F fluff in there and maybe some of Joe and the impossible waitress.  
  
Katie Janeway and Pitaqueen thank you! 


	10. Fight

Hey guys! How are you doing? I hope that I didn't keep you waiting too long for the next chapter of this story. I'm still working on it by chapter and you never know what will happen in these chapters. I don't even know what will happen! Anyways you know the drill after you get finished reading. I want a good and honest review from anyone who reads this story.  
  
Katie I know how much you would love to kill Ned right now but I think you're right. I believe that would ruin the whole story. Anyways thanks for the review. Keep writing your stories and enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them! I would love to but Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own them.  
  
-Previous chapter-  
  
Frank looked at Nancy only to see her staring at somebody that was walking down the street. "What is it Nan?" he was getting really worried because she was very pale.  
  
"Ned." It only took the one word.  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
Joe looked at the direction that Nancy had been looking in and didn't see him. "I don't see him Nan." He commented still looking through the crowd for her ex-fiancée.  
  
She started walking carefully through the weaving crowd. 'I can't lose him. I have to keep an eye on him. Oh please let me be able to get this case solved.' Nancy thought as she finally caught sight of him going into a music store. She smiled to herself. He hadn't changed as much as she thought he had.  
  
Frank came up behind her waiting for her to say something. When she didn't say anything he asked, "Why is he going into a music store?"  
  
"Ned has always been a Mozart fan from the time before he was in college. Used to drive Burt and Dave nuts with the sound of the classical music. I can't listen to the music anymore. She waited for him to come out.  
  
Joe had been behind them when he made the comment that it had been thirty minutes since they had last seen the man. "You're right Joe. Go look in the back. There should be a door that would lead out to the alley way." Frank ordered. They didn't dare go in because if they did and Ned was still there then he would recognize him and really make a run for it.  
  
-In the back-  
  
Joe looked around and didn't see anyone but one of the employees taking out the trash. "Excuse me?" He paused as he waited for an answer. As he didn't receive one he tried talking to the person again. "Excuse me. I was wondering if you have seen this person in the music shop?" Joe then got a good look at his face.  
  
That was when Joe saw the face of the person he was asking. "Ned?" The eyes were a different color instead of the brown that they used to be. That could be accounted for by contacts in his eyes. His skin had a slightly darker tone than it had at one time and his hair was now black. It was definitely Ned though. 'How did she recognize him?'  
  
"Well if it isn't Joe Hardy?" There was an evil glint in his eyes. "Where are the other two musketeers?" He smirked trying to throw a punch at the younger Hardy.  
  
"We're right here." Ned turned around to see a very cold and thin Nancy. He wasn't completely shocked at the state of what his former fiancée was in but he was shocked. She didn't look like she had gotten any sleep in a long time and that she wasn't eating.  
  
Ned stepped put of fighting stance and was trying to walk toward her when he felt Joe kick him in the back. "Come off it hardy." He ordered.  
  
Frank wasn't sure what Ned was up to but he wasn't about to let him hurt her anymore than he had. "Stay back Ned." Her gaze warned him as much as the coldness of her words.  
  
Somewhere deep inside him a voice that he hadn't heard for a long time was commenting in his head, 'See what you did to her. You deserve everything that she and the Hardy's throw at you and more.' Another voice, the voice that was now all too familiar to him was saying, 'Oh shut up. Why should you care what she's going through? She only cared about her mystery solving.'  
  
Nancy could see some of the old Ned showing up in his eyes. As suddenly as it was there it was gone again and there was the cold menacing Ned that she had been fighting for the last three years now. Almost unconscientiously she was in a fighting position and she didn't have to look at Frank to know that he was as well.  
  
Ned saw this and commented with some harshness in his voice. "What's wrong, Nancy can't fight me on your own?" He knew that she was a good fighter mostly because of her job.  
  
She slightly turned her head and gave him a look that said, "Let me do this."  
  
He stood straight up as he gave her another look that said, "Okay but if he hurts you then he's going to be in lot of trouble."  
  
Ned saw the silent communication that was going on between them. "What you talk to each other telepathically now?"  
  
That earned him a hard cold stare from all of them. Nancy was waiting for his attack when he did a roundhouse kick in the air that she managed to dodge. She allowed him to attack time after time only dodging his attacks before he commented, "You've become a lot better." Neither he nor she was even breaking out a sweat yet.  
  
She waited until he was open and sent a kick to side that made contact. It didn't cause him to double over as it would have one time but she didn't figure that it would and personally she didn't want it too. She wanted to fight him.  
  
He still kept throwing punches and missing as she dodged them. "You're the second in a terrorist group and this is all you can do?" She taunted. "Goodness sakes don't go easy on me." She more or less ordered and all of a sudden the fight became a lot tenser.  
  
Frank looked on not at all surprised at what Nancy could do. He could tell that she hadn't been sitting down for the last three years. She had probably put herself through extra fighting training at the network agency and through the Tae Kwan Do classes that she used to take on an everyday bases.  
  
Joe looked at the angry young woman that was fighting before him. He could see that she had completely transformed and if she hadn't been able to hold her own before he knew that she could now. He was standing by his brother when he made the comment, "Remind me not to get on her bad side."  
  
"I don't think that you will need reminding." Frank looked on worried. He knew that she hadn't eaten that morning and this fight had already been going on for an hour. He was surprised that the police hadn't been called.  
  
The police came just as he was thinking that. Ned heard them and before he started running he said, "Until we meet again."  
  
Nancy was about to pass out but she wasn't about to let the other people that were around know that. "We will have to take you in for questioning, Ma'am." Nancy wasn't in the mood to talk into anybody. She looked like he was ready to bite the officer's head off.  
  
Joe could see that she had withdrawn into herself as much as Frank had when everyone arrived. 'This isn't going to work. They need to talk.' His brother had been more open when he had been around Nancy. That meant that Nancy had been doing what he wanted her to do and he hadn't even talked to her but they still weren't talking about anything of crucial importance.  
  
Joe had to play mediator today. "Sir, we'll be happy to talk to you but could we go and eat lunch before we do. My comrades and I haven't eaten much today."  
  
Joe received a nod when the other officers returned. "We lost him sir."  
  
Nancy was led by Frank and Joe to the same restaurant that they had been eating at the day before. At the sight of Melissa Joe grinned. Nancy was just starting to come around when she noticed that he had switched to Romeo state. "Hey, Romeo, why don't you get her number?"  
  
Frank chuckled a little at this and got them a table while Joe put on every Hardy charm there was. After they were seated they decided not to wait for Joe as he was still flirting and they were hungry. "We should spar sometime Nancy. You've become quite good." Frank was still withdrawn but he was trying to lighten the mood.  
  
Joe came over and asked, "Did you order for me?"  
  
"No Joe we didn't know what you wanted." Frank answered tartly. "Did you finally get that girl's phone number?"  
  
"No, Nancy you're a woman what am I doing wrong?" He was earnest.  
  
"You're being a pessimistic customer and she probably gets this kind of thing all the time." Nancy responded. "Bess could probably tell you better than I could." Nancy was looking out the window toward where they parked the car.  
  
Dinner was a quiet affair today. No one said much of anything, except for Joe and his constant flirting with the impossible waitress. Frank took care of the bill and left with Nancy out the front door while Romeo was still going at it.  
  
Joe had a grin on his face when he came out of the restaurant. "Joe you must have got something." Nancy commented annoyed at the Cheshire smile that he had on his face.  
  
"Yeah a date for a concert at 7p.m. tonight."  
  
"With Melissa?" Frank questioned not quite believing that she had willingly given into the date.  
  
Joe nodded his head affirmative. "Well I suppose that we'd better get some work done so you can get ready for your date." Nancy climbed into the car.  
  
They finished talking to the police officer that had wanted to talk to them earlier who did still not quite believe that these people were FBI. "Thank you. Can we go home now?"  
  
Nancy was tired and needed to try to get some sleep. She wasn't sure that she would though.  
  
Joe left for his date. He still couldn't quite believe that he had gotten that. If it hadn't been for her friend having these tickets he wouldn't be able to have one up on the phone number.  
  
Joe left Frank and Nancy at the hotel. He hoped that they would talk or get some sleep. They needed to do both.  
  
Nancy sat down on the bed so tired that she couldn't do anything. "You did well out there today Nan." He sat on the bed along side her turning her around so that he could massage her shoulders.  
  
"I wanted to hurt him." She said.  
  
"I know you did." He smoothed her angry words as he pushed her hair over her shoulder brushing her cheek with his finger tips as he did so. The electrical currents that had always been there seemed to be stronger than it had been in a long time.  
  
As they sat there her tense shoulders began to relax more. Frank lay her down on the bed making sure that she had a pillow under her head. He began to do her back. It was incredible how tense she was. She slowly began to relax some when she turned to face him. "Frank.." She stopped when she looked into his intense brown eyes. He was so close to her she could smell the after shave that he had used earlier.  
  
He didn't respond in words anyways. He closed the distance between them and kissed her. The kiss sent more shivers down Nancy's back than she would care to count. It was long and sensuous making her want to give herself completely to the kiss. She did exactly as she wanted.  
  
Frank looked at her blue eyes staring straight into his brown ones and he couldn't resist kissing her anymore. She was soft as she responded to his kiss almost automatically. He knew that he had kissed her before on cases but it had never been like this before. They broke off the kiss sooner than either of them liked but they were both tired and needed to sleep. She was snuggled safely in his arms and before long they were both safely asleep. - - -  
  
That's the end of this chapter. Anyone who wants to take anything beyond kissing in my stories is going to have to use their imaginations because I don' believe that anything other than that belongs in stories. Anyways you know the drill you have to give me an honest review after you finish reading this. Ja ne! 


	11. Leg work

Hey guys I'm back again with a new chapter.  
  
Thank you to Pitaqueen to and Katie for keeping up with my story. I appreciate all of the encouragement that you give me on a regular bases. Thank you to anyone else that reads the story as well. I do have some twists and turns coming that I don't think you will see but let me know if you do.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own them. They are a lot of fun to write though!  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Joe walked in late that night to find Frank and Nancy sleeping peacefully. 'At least they are getting some sleep'. He went to bed with that peaceful knowledge.  
  
The morning arrived with the sun streaming into the room. Frank awoke with a start wondering why he was in the bed that Nancy had been sleeping in. As he began wondering about it he remembered what happened the night before. Nancy came out of the shower looking all rested for once. "Hey, we have work to do so go get that shower."  
  
"Where's Joe?" Nancy chuckled. "He's on the patio trying to get Melissa to talk to him. I think that Melissa was set up on that date."  
  
Frank went to take his shower. Nancy made the bed where she and Frank had fallen asleep. Joe walked into the room as Nancy called Bess. "Hello." A sleepy voice answered the phone.  
  
"Good morning. How is the wedding coming together?" Nancy asked as she sat down.  
  
"Nan, you called me at 9 in the morning just to ask me that?" Bess was sitting up on the bed it sounded like.  
  
Joe had to smile at Nan. "Yep. You're supposed to be married in two days and I didn't want you to think that I forgot all about the wedding."  
  
Joe turned on the speaker phone. "I hope not." Bess's voice filled the room. "You're the maid of honor!"  
  
Nancy laughed at her friend. "I see Frank has been doing a good job breaking the ice." Joe laughed as Nancy turned beet red.  
  
"I thought you had put me on speaker Joe! What are you doing up this early?"  
  
Nancy saw an opportunity to embarrass him really good. "He's calling a girl that he took out last night. I have sneaky suspicion that she was set up." Nancy informed her friend with a hint mischievousness in her voice.  
  
"Joe, don't you know that you have to give the girl some breathing room." Bess chastised. "Nan, I have to meet this girl that has been able to resist the charm of Joe Hardy." Frank could be heard as he laughed in the doorway to the bathroom.  
  
"Frank you promised to get Nancy back in time for my wedding." She reminded him.  
  
"I know. I promise she will be there in time." He sat down by Nancy.  
  
"Good. If you don't mind I'm going to try to get some more sleep before my fiancée shows up with some more last minute emergencies." She mumbled something about people keeping unearthly hours.  
  
Joe laughed at the last comment that she made. "Let's eat." He threw a meaningful glance at Frank and Nancy.  
  
"I'm not hungry Joe." Nancy wanted to stay back and work on the case. Besides she needed to think.  
  
Joe looked at his friend. "Listen Nancy. You're nothing but skin and bones now. Yesterday after that fight is the first time that I have actually seen you eat since we met up. You're going to eat." Nancy looked to Frank for help. "Frank isn't helping you this time. He is going to eat as well. You're both to thin for your own good."  
  
Frank was surprised at the abruptness in his brother. "Joe I'm not really hungry myself."  
  
"You both want to argue about this. Incredible! Look we have to get this case solved and fast. If you don't eat you won't have any energy." Joe had made his point.  
  
"Alright." They consented at the same time.  
  
During breakfast they went over what they had for the case. They divided into three different groups afterwards and agreed to meet in an hour.  
  
Nancy was supposed to go and talk to the FBI, while Frank covered the CIA, and Joe called Mr. Fairchild to see what came up with the books that he had found in the warehouse.  
  
-Nancy-  
  
"Listen I want information on this right now!" She was talking to the head of the FBI.  
  
"Miss Drew I'm afraid that I can not get that information to you. I have to talk to your superior." Nancy scowled at him.  
  
"Fine if you need to talk to my superior here are two numbers for you." She made herself comfortable in the chair that was behind her.  
  
First he called Frank and verified who she was but she could tell that Frank wasn't very happy about the lack of information that she had managed to get. Then he called Mr. Fairchild. "What is it?"  
  
"I have a young woman here by the name of Agent Nancy Drew that claims that she is here to get information on the terrorist activities that had been going on."  
  
"You have a problem giving her the information that she needs? She is FBI and she is doing a case for us and if you can't give her the case then I can find someone else to replace you." The authority in his voice was shaking the chief of this bureau headquarters.  
  
"Yes sir." Nancy had a deadly chilling smile on her face. "I'm sorry Agent Drew."  
  
He apologized and went to get the required information. "Thank you." She smiled sweetly.  
  
-Frank-  
  
"Special Agent Frank Hardy. I've been expecting you." The man said as he shook hands with him.  
  
"Can we go to your office please?" Frank asked as they left hall.  
  
"Not a problem." He was led to the inner office. "So you want information on all the terrorist attacks that have been going around."  
  
"Yes. We have been working on this assignment for a few days but we can't seem to find out anything more on the second but we have to get this case solved because something big is about to go down." Frank explained.  
  
"Who is the second?" Frank was asked.  
  
"N.N. Chauven." Frank answered with all seriousness. The man's face paled when he heard that. "There have been stories of sightings of him in the city. This confirms what we thought were rumors."  
  
"I assure that these are not rumors." Frank wanted to get out of here now.  
  
The files that he was looking for were pulled from the vault that was obviously in the back filled withal kinds of information.  
  
"This is everything that I have. I hope that this helps you." Frank thanked him and left the room.  
  
-Joe-  
  
"What did you find Mr. Fairchild?" Joe asked as he paced the hotel room.  
  
"Well it was exactly what we expected. Someone has been selling our countries secrets and codes. We are sending you to new York that seems to be where this thing might end."  
  
"What about Nancy and Frank?" Joe stopped pacing the floor.  
  
Mr. Fairchild was thinking. "Only part of the deal is going down in New York. From the looks of it the rest if going down in Chicago."  
  
'Please tell me that you won't be separating us.' "Does that mean what I think that it means?" Joe asked hoping that his thoughts were wrong.  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry Joe." Just as Joe was about to hang up the phone he heard the door open to his boss's office.  
  
"Daddy?" Elayne wanted something as always.  
  
"I'm going to have to let you go." That was the end of that conversation.  
  
It was time to meet Nancy and Frank and see what they had found. He hoped that everything would turn out alright. He wasn't worried about Nancy and Frank taking care of themselves. He knew that they could do that. He was going to have to get them to talk tonight.  
  
-At the meeting place-  
  
"Well what did you find bro?" Frank asked as he sat down with all of the drinks.  
  
The books that I found are definitely what we feared they would be." Joe told the other two.  
  
"Nancy pulled out her purse and looked at the note that she had forgotten. "ESACFFOEHTYATS."  
  
"I know this says." Her words got their attention.  
  
"What Nan?" Joe asked.  
  
"Stay off the case." She paused with her head in her hands.  
  
"What's wrong?" Frank asked. He wanted to take her hands away from her face.  
  
"I know that code. It was something that Ned and I worked out when we were together. Ned wrote that note." Nancy was sad and angry now. Ned knows that a threatening note isn't going to scare me off the case. Why only a note and beating?  
  
She was broken out of her thoughts by Joe when he told her what Mr. Fairchild wanted them to do and what he had said earlier that day.  
  
"Okay, Joe, we'll get packed tonight. New York is way off the road of Chicago. We're going to assume that he will have you a partner ready over there seeing that it is against company policy to go on a mission alone. They were getting up to leave when Nancy thought of something. "I'll be right back. I'll meet you at the car."  
  
Frank looked at her in an odd way. She's up to something. I wonder if it is one of the things that I can get hr to tell me tonight or if I have to wait.  
  
Nancy joined them at the car. She didn't want to think that her instincts were correct because then she would have been wrong for all these years. She would soon find out though.  
  
-In another part of the city-  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked dangerously.  
  
"Just what I said."  
  
"Fine we can do that."  
  
"Oh another thing your former fiancée is getting a little too close to this." His boss ordered evilly. "It's time to put her out of commission.  
  
- - -  
  
Okay guys you know the drill. Give me an honest review. I hope that you enjoy what the story! 


	12. The twist befins

Hey guys I have been itching for three days to write this so I'm just going to start. I usually make you wait a week but this week I can't resist!  
  
"Oh another thing, your former fiancée is getting a little too close to this," His bossed ordered evilly. "It's time to put her out of commission."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own them even though that would be a load of fun.  
  
This really is chapter 12  
  
Joe excused himself from the room and went in search of the proper place for his plan to come through. He didn't have long. He had to leave for New York in a few hours.  
  
He passed by the swimming pool and then thought better of it. He had watched her just the other day do lap after lap of the freestyle. She definitely would get in their and do laps. He wanted them to talk.  
  
After a moment the young detective passed by the cafeteria and thought better of it because they would probably opt not to eat. He had a hard enough time this morning to get them to eat. The first meal that he had actually seen Nan eat was after she had the fight with Ned.  
  
He finally arrived downstairs where the gym was. Joe looked around the gym. 'This is perfect.' His cell phone rang at this time. "Hello."  
  
"Joe where are you right now?" A voice asked over the phone.  
  
"Bess nice to talk to you as well. If you're wondering where I am they are not here with me." Joe answered.  
  
"Good I want you need to do something for me." Bess was trying to order him.  
  
Joe chuckled. "I think I know what you want and I'm already on it."  
  
"No wonder you're such a good detective. So you're working on a way to get them together. How are you planning on doing it?" Bess's voice became excited.  
  
"Well I just found a gym." He answered hoping that she would get the idea without having to explain anything to her.  
  
"Oh very good." Bess squealed.  
  
"I can't guarantee that this will work." Joe reminded her.  
"At least it will get Nan to eat. Even if it doesn't work." Bess calmed down a little.  
  
"That will only work if they spar." Joe commented.  
  
"They will. Nan can't resist getting in a good spar with anyone. The head detective once made the mistake of challenging her and told her not to hold back. That was the biggest mistake he could ever make. He won't challenge her anymore." Bess chuckled.  
  
"I imagine." Joe thought about the fight that she had with Ned.  
  
-In the room-  
  
In the hotel room Frank was tossing and turning from the same night mare that he had on the plane. The only difference was that Nancy was falling instead of Callie.  
  
Nancy came out of the bathroom ready to go to the gym. She saw him tossing and turning. "Frank." She paused waiting for him to wake up. She tried several things before she finally leaned over his head and pecked his cheek.  
  
Frank shot up at the contact nearly knocking her off the bed. He caught her from pure instinct. "Nan?" he asked with a look of disbelief. "I thought you had been killed." There were tears in his eyes.  
  
She gingerly wiped the tears off his face. "It's okay Frank. I'm here right now. I'm safe in your arms."  
  
He didn't let her go. He pulled her closer toward him and kissed her with passion and fear of losing someone else that he loved.  
  
Nancy was a little surprised but returned the kiss with the same passion and the instinct that he needed this.  
  
"See I'm right here. Come on maybe you can bread out a sweat in the gym instead of over a nightmare." She kissed him and waited for him to change.  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe walked into the room to find Nancy already dressed for a work out and sitting on his and Frank's bed. "Hey Nancy." He sat down beside her.  
  
"Hey Joe." She was kind despondent at the moment.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked afraid of knowing the answer.  
  
"Oh nothing." She answered.  
Frank came out of the bathroom at the time. "Ready Nan." He inquired.  
  
"Yeah." She responded.  
  
'At least I didn't have to find a way to get them down there.'  
  
-In the gym-  
  
Nancy and Frank arrived at the gym. There was no one in there at the time. Nancy began with warm ups on the mats while Frank started on the bike. He watched as Nancy gracefully pulled off some back flips and started to do some complicated martial arts moves. 'No wonder she's so good at that.'  
  
"Want to spar?" Frank asked.  
  
He was in fighting position in moment. "Do I have a choice?" She joked.  
  
"Nope. It's been too long since I've had a good spar." Frank gave a small grin.  
  
"Alright." She shrugged.  
  
There were a few minutes of intense battle between the two. "You want to tell me what you're dream is about?" She questioned as she sent a roundhouse kick toward him.  
"No not really." He commented as he dodged her kick.  
  
"Why Frank?" She insisted as she flipped back keeping him from coming into a low kick.  
  
"Don't hold back Nan." He challenged.  
  
"Why would I hold back?" She acknowledged the challenge.  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe watched through the door. The intense fight between the two was enough to keep everyone out of the gym. 'She's holding back. I know that she wasn't with Ned.' He observed silently.  
  
-In the gym-  
  
The fight in the gym became more intense and neither was breaking out a sweat.  
"Frank you need to talk. You're losing sleep." Nancy saw that he had his left open and she took the opportunity to send a kick there.  
  
"What about you? I think that there is only one night that either of us has slept." He retorted.  
  
"How about if you talk about your dreams and I will tell you about mine?" Nancy raised her eyebrows at him.  
  
"That'll work." He sent a kick toward her stomach and missed barely.  
  
"Did you think that I wouldn't be able to dodge that?" She was behind him. She sent him a kick toward his back.  
  
-Later in the hotel room-  
  
Joe had just finished packing the rest of his clothes. "Are you two ready for this?" He asked.  
  
"We have to be." Nancy answered.  
  
"I'll see you guys in a couple of days." Joe told them. "Hopefully."  
  
"Don't worry we'll see you at Bess's wedding." Frank smiled at his brother.  
  
"You two get some sleep. You will need it." Joe ordered them returning his brother's smile.  
  
-At the Fairchild mansion-  
  
"How are you getting this information?" Eugene looked at Mr. Fairchild.  
  
"An inside source." The answer was vague and not quite what he was looking for.  
  
"Sir, you have a call on line one." His secretary spoke over the phone intercom.  
  
"I'll take it." He informed her.  
  
"This is Fairchild." He had a bad feeling about this call.  
  
"Sir it's Nightcrawler. Your detectives are in danger." Nightcrawler hung up the phone. _ _ _  
  
Okay guys that's the last of this chapter. You know the drill. You have to give me an honest review! 


	13. Stories

"Sir, it's Nightcrawler. Your detectives are in danger." Nightcrawler hung up the phone.  
  
Thank you for all the reviews everyone. I don't know what exactly is going to happen in this chapter but I guess we'll see together.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just think that it's fun to write them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own the Hardy Brothers and Nancy Drew. We all know that though.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"I'm glad that Joe got off safe." Nancy watched as the clouds went by them when she turned to the left. "Frank you've sure been quite silent, is something wrong?"  
  
"No just can't shake the feeling that something is going to be really wrong." He stated.  
  
"Hey in this business that we're in anything could go wrong." Nancy reminded him. Just as she said this the plane did a sharp dip and turn.  
  
"Nancy!" Frank exclaimed while he gritted his teeth.  
  
Nancy was laughing when she straightened out the plane.  
  
"What's so funny?" He scowled at her and let go of his grip on the control board.  
  
"You see what I mean? Anything could happen on our cases." Nancy's laughter was dying down to chuckles.  
  
"Nan, where did you learn to fly like that? I thought you had told me that you hadn't logged that much in the way of flight time."  
  
"I haven't. My flight instructor liked to pull different stunts on us just to see how well we could think in a crisis. He wanted us to be able to think in the air." Nancy answered.  
  
"Your instructor was interesting. Mine was always afraid to let me loose because of the fact that I could pull off some heart stopping stunt."  
  
"What a shame." She commented. "We're almost to the Chicago airport."  
  
She reached the communicator in the plane to request permission to land.  
  
When granted Frank started on his co-pilot duties. Neither of them was talking just concentrating. They didn't want any unexpected missiles coming toward them again. After a safe landing they breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Come on. Let's check on Bess before she thinks that we didn't make it in time for her wedding. I did promise to get you here on time." Frank guided her to where the car was.  
  
"Well we got here in time." She stated the obvious. "I just don't how we'll solve this case and do her wedding."  
  
-Joe-  
  
"Joe Hardy." A man more stated than asked.  
  
"Depends on who's asking." Joe responded.  
  
"How's the weather?" The man picked up his bags.  
  
"The weather has been great." Joe answered back.  
  
"Well I'm your chauffer." The man was all business and looked as if he didn't know what the meaning of fun was.  
  
Joe was taken to a limo waiting for them. "There's a soda in the back. Help yourself."  
  
-F/N-  
  
Nancy arrived to her apartment building ready to see her friend and not just talk to her. "I can't wait to see Bess. I know that we're here ion a case but I've also got to attend her wedding. I promised her I would Frank."  
  
"Nancy you're going to be able to keep your promise to her." He reassured her as she dug through her purse hunting for her keys. "Nan if she's in the apartment do you really need to have your keys." He chuckled.  
  
She stopped to look at him. "Ummm.. No I guess not." She could feel her cheeks turning red. It was broad daylight and she was really trying to hide from the young man's prying eyes but she knew that was a useless attempt.  
  
"Hey, it's okay Nan." Frank tipped her chin toward him and kissed her. The sharp intake of her breath told him that she hadn't been expecting this. "Come on. Let's go see Bess." He echoed her words from earlier.  
  
She led the way to the apartment. She could hear the little pitter patter of feet beyond the door which also caused her to light up. "Ooooohhhhhhh she's here!"  
  
Frank was confused until she opened the door to see an adorable little toddler, well not quite a toddler yet, trying to walk but not succeeding very well because she kept leaning forward to catch herself. The little girl stopped when she heard the door open. She looked at Frank wearily and then took the quickest way to get to Nancy that she knew. She crawled.  
  
Nancy swept the little girl up in one motion. "Hi sweetie! How are you doing!" She went into a string of baby talk that Frank could not understand.  
  
George came out of the kitchen to see who was talking to her baby even though she already knew. "Hi Frank. I hope you will be here for Bess's wedding she is a nervous wreck."  
  
"Yeah, the case led us back over here. Joe is in New York tying up the other end of the case. I hope nothing happens to him there."  
  
George dismissed it. "Joe's been to New York plenty of times before. I think he knows New York almost as well as he knows Bayport and Chicago."  
  
"That's not what I'm worried about." He answered.  
  
"I know. I'm just trying to make you feel better." George responded.  
  
"It's not working." Frank smiled.  
  
"What time is the wedding?" Frank asked his face and mind going back to business.  
  
"The wedding will begin at 3 at today." George answered.  
  
She looked at Nancy. Her face had gone serious again as well. "It's 10 o'clock. We can get some investigating done anyway."  
  
She handed the baby to George. "We'll be back in time." He informed her.  
  
"Good luck." George watched them go.  
  
"I hope that they will be okay." She whispered to her little girl.  
  
-F/N-  
  
"Okay where do we start?" Nancy asked.  
  
"Let's look at that warehouse." Frank suggested.  
  
"That sounds good. We will have to go by my office and get the information." Nancy informed him.  
  
"Right." He said.  
  
-At the office-  
  
Nancy was smirking after she parked her car. "This is my favorite part of the day."  
  
Frank laughed. "Well let's see your 'boss'." He emphasized the word.  
  
Nancy led the way to his office. She looked in on her boss. "Hey," she gave a cheerful greeting.  
  
"Hello, Detective Drew. Are you still working on a case?" He noticed Frank behind her and scowled at her. "Why is he here?"  
  
"He's my partner." Nancy answered tartly.  
  
"Hurry up. I want you back here working for me?"  
  
Nancy took this opportunity to tease her boss. "That means your workload must be awful heavy. I didn't know my boss couldn't handle working by himself."  
  
She disappeared to her office. "Okay, let me see." She mumbled staring in dismay at the mess on her desk. "I thought that it was George that I sent up here to get those files."  
  
"She probably had her baby with her." Frank comforted.  
  
"Yeah." She agreed.  
  
"Nan I think that you're attracting attention." He looked out of her office.  
  
Nancy stepped out of her office. "You guys have a problem." She asked. She had gone cold.  
  
"Do you usually not wear shorts to the office?" He asked. Her shorts were mid thigh but she was still getting the attention of all the officers in the building.  
  
The office was buzzing as if he hadn't seen everyone stop looking at her. "Wow. You must keep them on their toes."  
  
"That's the only way to do it around here. I'm the only woman detective here and the only one that has been here for thirty years." She responded.  
  
"That would explain a lot of things." Frank commented as they stopped back in her boss's office to say that they were leaving.  
  
"Detective Drew be careful out there. I don't know what you're working on but I know that it is dangerous." The man actually seemed to care.  
  
"That was odd." Frank observed/  
  
"It comes out once in a blue moon showing that he is human." Nancy stated.  
  
"Okay, we have to go to that warehouse first. Maybe they left some clues behind." Frank was all business.  
  
"Joe left an address for us to look right?"  
  
"Yeah, he did." Frank paused. He didn't understand how Ned's gang could have gotten the government codes to betray everything that he stood or should have stood for.  
  
-Nightcrawler-  
  
"How did I get pulled into this?" he had to think back to when he was a few years younger and well in love.  
  
-Flashback-  
  
"We need someone that they wouldn't' suspect to be able to get in and do things. Someone that looks like an average guy that won't gather attention from anyone around." The man in gray approached him earlier and they were now eating at a fine restaurant having a nice little meeting.  
  
"Why do you want me?" He asked with trepidation.  
  
"You have experience in this field and it's sad to say that you have more experience than a lot of the operatives that I have." The man stated the obvious.  
  
"You mean that I am better suited?" he asked.  
  
"No not better, just more experienced." He restated.  
  
"Would you really think that I would be able to do this job?"  
  
"This is what you are doing already without pay. The only difference that you would be paid to do this kind of work now."  
  
-End flashback-  
  
"The only difference is that I would be paid. Yeah right." He muttered darkly. He had to get ready to carry this plan through. - - -  
  
Okay guys that is the last if this chapter. I think that there will only be two or three more chapters left in this story. You know the drill. You have to give me a good and honest review. Even if it means that you say something that you think I might not like! Arigato. 


	14. I don't know if the other one got throug...

"Sir, it's Nightcrawler. Your detectives are in danger." Nightcrawler hung up the phone.  
  
Thank you for all the reviews everyone. I don't know what exactly is going to happen in this chapter but I guess we'll see together.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just think that it's fun to write them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own the Hardy Brothers and Nancy Drew. We all know that though.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"I'm glad that Joe got off safe." Nancy watched as the clouds went by them when she turned to the left. "Frank you've sure been quite silent, is something wrong?"  
  
"No just can't shake the feeling that something is going to be really wrong." He stated.  
  
"Hey in this business that we're in anything could go wrong." Nancy reminded him. Just as she said this the plane did a sharp dip and turn.  
  
"Nancy!" Frank exclaimed while he gritted his teeth.  
  
Nancy was laughing when she straightened out the plane.  
  
"What's so funny?" He scowled at her and let go of his grip on the control board.  
  
"You see what I mean? Anything could happen on our cases." Nancy's laughter was dying down to chuckles.  
  
"Nan, where did you learn to fly like that? I thought you had told me that you hadn't logged that much in the way of flight time."  
  
"I haven't. My flight instructor liked to pull different stunts on us just to see how well we could think in a crisis. He wanted us to be able to think in the air." Nancy answered.  
  
"Your instructor was interesting. Mine was always afraid to let me loose because of the fact that I could pull off some heart stopping stunt."  
  
"What a shame." She commented. "We're almost to the Chicago airport."  
  
She reached the communicator in the plane to request permission to land.  
  
When granted Frank started on his co-pilot duties. Neither of them was talking just concentrating. They didn't want any unexpected missiles coming toward them again. After a safe landing they breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Come on. Let's check on Bess before she thinks that we didn't make it in time for her wedding. I did promise to get you here on time." Frank guided her to where the car was.  
  
"Well we got here in time." She stated the obvious. "I just don't how we'll solve this case and do her wedding."  
  
-Joe-  
  
"Joe Hardy." A man more stated than asked.  
  
"Depends on who's asking." Joe responded.  
  
"How's the weather?" The man picked up his bags.  
  
"The weather has been great." Joe answered back.  
  
"Well I'm your chauffer." The man was all business and looked as if he didn't know what the meaning of fun was.  
  
Joe was taken to a limo waiting for them. "There's a soda in the back. Help yourself."  
  
-F/N-  
  
Nancy arrived to her apartment building ready to see her friend and not just talk to her. "I can't wait to see Bess. I know that we're here ion a case but I've also got to attend her wedding. I promised her I would Frank."  
  
"Nancy you're going to be able to keep your promise to her." He reassured her as she dug through her purse hunting for her keys. "Nan if she's in the apartment do you really need to have your keys." He chuckled.  
  
She stopped to look at him. "Ummm.. No I guess not." She could feel her cheeks turning red. It was broad daylight and she was really trying to hide from the young man's prying eyes but she knew that was a useless attempt.  
  
"Hey, it's okay Nan." Frank tipped her chin toward him and kissed her. The sharp intake of her breath told him that she hadn't been expecting this. "Come on. Let's go see Bess." He echoed her words from earlier.  
  
She led the way to the apartment. She could hear the little pitter patter of feet beyond the door which also caused her to light up. "Ooooohhhhhhh she's here!"  
  
Frank was confused until she opened the door to see an adorable little toddler, well not quite a toddler yet, trying to walk but not succeeding very well because she kept leaning forward to catch herself. The little girl stopped when she heard the door open. She looked at Frank wearily and then took the quickest way to get to Nancy that she knew. She crawled.  
  
Nancy swept the little girl up in one motion. "Hi sweetie! How are you doing!" She went into a string of baby talk that Frank could not understand.  
  
George came out of the kitchen to see who was talking to her baby even though she already knew. "Hi Frank. I hope you will be here for Bess's wedding she is a nervous wreck."  
  
"Yeah, the case led us back over here. Joe is in New York tying up the other end of the case. I hope nothing happens to him there."  
  
George dismissed it. "Joe's been to New York plenty of times before. I think he knows New York almost as well as he knows Bayport and Chicago."  
  
"That's not what I'm worried about." He answered.  
  
"I know. I'm just trying to make you feel better." George responded.  
  
"It's not working." Frank smiled.  
  
"What time is the wedding?" Frank asked his face and mind going back to business.  
  
"The wedding will begin at 3 at today." George answered.  
  
She looked at Nancy. Her face had gone serious again as well. "It's 10 o'clock. We can get some investigating done anyway."  
  
She handed the baby to George. "We'll be back in time." He informed her.  
  
"Good luck." George watched them go.  
  
"I hope that they will be okay." She whispered to her little girl.  
  
-F/N-  
  
"Okay where do we start?" Nancy asked.  
  
"Let's look at that warehouse." Frank suggested.  
  
"That sounds good. We will have to go by my office and get the information." Nancy informed him.  
  
"Right." He said.  
  
-At the office-  
  
Nancy was smirking after she parked her car. "This is my favorite part of the day."  
  
Frank laughed. "Well let's see your 'boss'." He emphasized the word.  
  
Nancy led the way to his office. She looked in on her boss. "Hey," she gave a cheerful greeting.  
  
"Hello, Detective Drew. Are you still working on a case?" He noticed Frank behind her and scowled at her. "Why is he here?"  
  
"He's my partner." Nancy answered tartly.  
  
"Hurry up. I want you back here working for me?"  
  
Nancy took this opportunity to tease her boss. "That means your workload must be awful heavy. I didn't know my boss couldn't handle working by himself."  
  
She disappeared to her office. "Okay, let me see." She mumbled staring in dismay at the mess on her desk. "I thought that it was George that I sent up here to get those files."  
  
"She probably had her baby with her." Frank comforted.  
  
"Yeah." She agreed.  
  
"Nan I think that you're attracting attention." He looked out of her office.  
  
Nancy stepped out of her office. "You guys have a problem." She asked. She had gone cold.  
  
"Do you usually not wear shorts to the office?" He asked. Her shorts were mid thigh but she was still getting the attention of all the officers in the building.  
  
The office was buzzing as if he hadn't seen everyone stop looking at her. "Wow. You must keep them on their toes."  
  
"That's the only way to do it around here. I'm the only woman detective here and the only one that has been here for thirty years." She responded.  
  
"That would explain a lot of things." Frank commented as they stopped back in her boss's office to say that they were leaving.  
  
"Detective Drew be careful out there. I don't know what you're working on but I know that it is dangerous." The man actually seemed to care.  
  
"That was odd." Frank observed/  
  
"It comes out once in a blue moon showing that he is human." Nancy stated.  
  
"Okay, we have to go to that warehouse first. Maybe they left some clues behind." Frank was all business.  
  
"Joe left an address for us to look right?"  
  
"Yeah, he did." Frank paused. He didn't understand how Ned's gang could have gotten the government codes to betray everything that he stood or should have stood for.  
  
-Nightcrawler-  
  
"How did I get pulled into this?" he had to think back to when he was a few years younger and well in love.  
  
-Flashback-  
  
"We need someone that they wouldn't' suspect to be able to get in and do things. Someone that looks like an average guy that won't gather attention from anyone around." The man in gray approached him earlier and they were now eating at a fine restaurant having a nice little meeting.  
  
"Why do you want me?" He asked with trepidation.  
  
"You have experience in this field and it's sad to say that you have more experience than a lot of the operatives that I have." The man stated the obvious.  
  
"You mean that I am better suited?" he asked.  
  
"No not better, just more experienced." He restated.  
  
"Would you really think that I would be able to do this job?"  
  
"This is what you are doing already without pay. The only difference that you would be paid to do this kind of work now."  
  
-End flashback-  
  
"The only difference is that I would be paid. Yeah right." He muttered darkly. He had to get ready to carry this plan through. - - -  
  
Okay guys that is the last if this chapter. I think that there will only be two or three more chapters left in this story. You know the drill. You have to give me a good and honest review. Even if it means that you say something that you think I might not like! Arigato. 


	15. What is going on?

"The only difference is that I would be paid. Yeah right." He muttered darkly. He had to get ready to carry through with his plan.  
  
Thanks guys for all of your support and reviews. Some of them are so funny.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon & Shuster own them. Oh what a shame! I love to write them!  
  
Chapter 14  
  
"Nan, do you see anything at all?" They had been investigating the warehouse for two hours and they hadn't found anything yet.  
  
"No." She was looking in the corner on the right of the building.  
  
"Nan don't move." Frank said with a warning undertone.  
  
"What Hardy? Are you afraid that I'm going to hurt my fiancée?" Ned asked.  
  
Frank looked at her long and hard. She was cool and poised; unlike the last time when she was ready to beat the crap out of her.  
  
-Joe-  
  
"Where am I?" He asked moaning.  
  
"So you're awake. I was wondering when you were going to wake up." A voice commented in the dark and dank room.  
  
Joe tried to get up from what felt like a bed to him only to find himself tightly tied with the familiar feel of rope cutting off his circulation. He would just have to work on loosening the rope when the person wasn't watching his every muscle twitch.  
  
"You know your brother along with his pretty girlfriend is in for a surprise of their life." The voice informed him with cold formality.  
  
"My brother can take care of himself. So can Nan so you might be in for a surprise." Joe retorted back.  
  
"He told me that you had a lot of spirit."  
  
"Who?" Joe was getting really irritated but as long as the guy was looking at his face then he wouldn't have to worry about the slight twisting that he was doing on his wrist. He was going to have some major rope burns when he got through here.  
  
"N.N. Chauven. You know the guy can keep secrets. I haven't been able to find out most of them. Of course I expect working with a detective since she was 17 or 18 would probably do that to you." He paused. "I know why you're here and the guy that you were with isn't going to make it through the night. You might not either."  
  
-N/F-  
  
Frank was surprised when Nancy spoke something that he couldn't understand.  
  
"Soi xkr sgkji?" It sounded like a question in code to Frank. There was no language that he knew of that didn't have vowels in between letters.  
  
"Xep. Tkd ded skr cearoi qtep krg?" Ned asked in the same language code.  
  
Jk qehi. Iwpgsej qk hc sjd cosjf vtsq ep akeja kg?" Nancy asked back.  
  
"You to know that I can't speak whatever it is that you're saying right?" Frank half asked and half stated.  
  
Ned switched to English. "We were just getting ready to talk to you anyways. Well I was anyways. I'm sure Nan has already talked to you about this."  
  
"About what?" Frank asked. 'Has Nancy been keeping secrets from me? If she could get this case solved why didn't she do it. Why was she standing here talking to Ned as if there was nothing between their pasts?' These questions and others ran through Frank's mind.  
  
Nancy walked to Frank and took his hand letting him know that everything was going to be alright.  
  
Ned saw this and was sad because he still did love her. 'You gave up the right to love her a long time ago'. The little voice inside of him reminded him with a pang.  
  
"Talk Ned." Nancy reminded him. Her hand still laced with Frank's.  
  
"Does Joe know yet?" He asked.  
  
"Does Joe know what?" Frank shot wearily at Ned.  
  
"That you two have gone beyond the friendship stage." Ned observed the surprise if only for a brief moment cross their faces.  
  
"No." Frank's voice was cold.  
  
"Ned this isn't important at the moment. We need to know what is going on." She brought the conversation that was going the wrong way.  
"I know. Okay here is what I have for you. This guy has it in for you Frank."  
  
"That's funny I thought you had it in for us." He was sounding more like Joe than the calm collected Frank at the moment.  
  
"That's not all. This deal is going down in two hours. While it is happening two hours it's not happening here. It's happening in New York."  
  
Frank's hand was suddenly cutting off Nancy's circulation. "Ned, are you finished. We have to get to New York."  
  
Ned nodded his head. "Watch out for the leader." He threw Frank a meaningful look that had two meanings. 'Take care of her and watch out for what is going on around her.'  
  
Frank nodded as if he understood. "I have to get out of here." Ned informed her. "I've already been here for too long."  
  
They understood. "Let's go."  
  
They knew that they couldn't get to New York in two hours. "Call Fairchild." Frank ordered without thinking.  
  
Nancy was already pulling out her phone. "I know Frank. We will get someone up there as fast as we can."  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe had just gotten the ropes off of his wrists and was working on his ankles. 'God I know that I don't pray to you very often but please help me get out of this mess.'  
  
He had to get to his partner before he was killed. Finally the rope was undone around his ankle and with a shove he headed for the door only to find that it was bolted on the other side. 'Great. Just great.'  
  
(I thought about leaving you guys hanging here but I think that some of you would kill me so I don't guess I will.)  
  
F/N  
  
Nancy hung up the phone with Fairchild who already seemed to have the information that she had received from her former fiancée. "Ned sure has a lot of explaining to do when we get through with this case." She muttered under her breath. She looked at the time. "Oh crap! I've got to call Bess and hope that she doesn't kill us!"  
  
Nancy called the church that they were supposed to be at. "Hello."  
"Is Bess Marvin there?" She asked not believing that she had forgotten about the wedding.  
  
"Yes. Just a moment and I will go and get her. May I ask who this is?" The man over the phone said.  
  
"This is Nancy Drew. Can you please get her? This is an emergency!" She asked not thinking to keep the irritation out of her voice.  
  
"Nancy what's up and where are you!?" Bess questioned.  
  
"Right now Bess we are up in the air trying to get to Joe before something happens to him." She glanced at Frank. He was going as fast as the plane would carry them. At the moment he wasn't' worried about air speed he was just worried about his brother. He knew that somehow he would get there on time and followed his instincts in this case. He didn't figure that he was going to be landing at the airport this time.  
  
"Oh no! Nan I won't go through this wedding without you." Bess groaned at one her friends being in danger.  
  
"Bess don't do that." Nancy laid her head on the headrest of the co- pilots seat before responding.  
  
"Nan I knew that this was a possibility. I know what you do for a living and I still help you from time to time when you will let me. I want you at the wedding and I already told the pastor that if for some reason my maid of honor wouldn't be able to attend then I would have to postpone the wedding." Bess paused. "Besides this is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I can't be happy about getting married when I'm worried about what is going on with you guys."  
  
Nancy knew that Bess had a point and even though Bess would rather be at the store shopping if she could she would drop everything and come to help out.  
  
"Ok. We'll let you know how things go." She answered. She hung up the phone with a sigh.  
  
"She's postponing the wedding." Nancy commented as she watched the clouds go by.  
  
"How long has it been since you let her and George help you out on any of your cases?" Frank asked out of curiosity.  
  
"A couple of years for George. After I found out that she was pregnant I wouldn't allow her to do anything that I was doing that could get her hurt. Bess I haven't really let do anything because I haven't wanted her to get killed before her wedding for about a year." Nancy responded with a heavy sigh.  
"So where do you plan on landing?  
  
-Joe-  
  
"Well, well. It seems that you escaped from your prison. Maybe you would make a good member in my gang. It seems that second has some hidden agenda." Joe looked at the man that came from the shadows from around the building. He recognized the voice and that face.  
  
"Androa Newman. What are you doing out of prison?" - - -  
  
Okay guys you can give me an honest opinion. I think that I have some more twist and turns coming up but I think that we will all have to wait and see. I never know what will happen in my stories either. They are like life. Just full of surprises. Anyways Arigato! 


	16. finally

"Well, well. It seems that you escaped your prison. Maybe you would make a good member of my gang. It seems that second has a hidden agenda." Joe looked at the man that came from the shadows from around the building. He recognized the voice and that face.  
  
"Androa Newman. What are you doing out of prison?"  
  
Hey guys I absolutely loved some of the reviews.  
  
Katie I had to laugh at your review when I read it. I was waiting for something like that. Now that I think of it you did ask me if you could kill him. Anyways we'll see how this chapter turns out.  
  
Pitaqueen thanks. I love all of your support; especially when I have something up my sleeve which you guys might or might not like.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them! I just enjoy writing them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own them. By rights anyways, I like to think that I can get the characters to do anything that I want them to do.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Frank and Nancy landed in New York without mishap. They gave their names at the desk and were handed keys to a car that had already been reserved for them. "Okay Nan let's hope that Ned was wrong about the time that this is going down because I have a really bad feeling about this."  
  
It had taken them 2 ½ hours to get there. They were hoping that they wouldn't have to worry so much but there was still something off and they both knew it. Nancy was dialing the number to Mr. Fairchild's office as she sat down in the car.  
  
Frank climbed into the front seat. He listened while he started the car. Nancy was writing down the address. She hung up the phone only to set up her laptop that she carried with her. "Why are you setting up your laptop?" He asked.  
  
"I'm going to pull up a map of this city. I need to know how to give the instructions on how to get there. They traced the GPA on Joe's phone and located the last location where the phone was anyways. There is hope that he is there because his phone has been on the move in the same general vicinity." Nancy informed him.  
  
"Okay," he looked to see the lighter plug. "You do have a car plug for your computer right?" He inquired.  
  
She scowled at him. "Of course. I work for the network and as a detective at the police station." She was busy for another few seconds as she typed in her access codes to her computer. "I've got the map. We'll most likely beagle to get through the back roads a little better." She started giving the directions and he followed them.  
  
-Joe-  
  
"How do you think that I got out Joe?" He gave an evil chuckle. "I think that you're brother would love to have you killed before his very eyes. You two are sure a thorn on my side. I can't wait to make you pay for putting me in prison the first or second time."  
  
"You mean killing Callie isn't enough to make us pay for you going to prison?" Joe asked mock horror on his face.  
  
"Nope. Have to make you pay all the way." The cold man held a proud evil grin on his face.  
  
Joe was trying to keep his cool in front of this man that actually belonged in the psychiatric ward. He belonged in a top security one at that. Just then Joe got an idea. "Would you mind telling me why you think that you're second has a hidden agenda?"  
  
Androa Newman looked at the younger man that was in front of him. "Why?"  
  
"Just curious." Joe sat down on the rock behind him ready for an answer.  
  
There was another glare at the casual younger Hardy. "NO! I won't be telling you anything. You're going back inside."  
  
The gun was stuck in Joe's face. "Look it won't do you any good to try anything. We might be in the alley way over here but they can still hear a shot." Joe glanced at the .44 magna that was being held pointedly in his face.  
  
"Who said anything about shooting you right now? I think I will kill you and then his new girlfriend." The man led Joe to another room in the warehouse that looked like it was an office building.  
  
"Guards don't let him out of the room." They were ordered as the door was closed and locked in Joe.  
  
'Okay, let me see what is in this room and the layout. He pulled a small flashlight that he kept put away in the soles of his shoes. Now..'  
  
-Outside of the building-  
  
"You want to tell me how you got these?" A question came at a brown haired man.  
  
"Sir, we were following Mr. Chauven around. He went to the warehouse that we emptied and met up with these two here."  
  
"These are some of the detectives that are on our tails at the moment. Thank you." He was clearly dismissed as Androa Newman checked his watch. "It's time."  
  
-Joe-  
  
'Got it. Now let's open the window. I have to get to the other man that was with me. I don't want anything to happen and get blamed for it.'  
  
Joe climbed out the window to find another window to climb in. He couldn't wait to get his own hands on the leader of this terrorist group. "I hate that Ned has become a turncoat and given away all of the secrets of our government. I don't think he realizes what he has gotten himself into." Joe was saying to himself.  
  
Joe peered into a window that was open. There was a bit conversation. "There was a young woman with them."  
  
"You mean the one with..." They headed another direction before he could hear anymore of the conversation.  
  
He carefully climbed into the window. He hadn't been able to see what was on the floor so he hoped there was nothing there. He did step in something but he didn't keep his shoes on. Since they were black they wouldn't be noticed in the dark hall. He slipped them off and followed carefully the halls that were in the warehouse. You know I don't think that this is a warehouse. 'There are too many halls and rooms. I'm going to have to be more careful than I thought.'  
  
He found the room where the other agent was being held. You could smell the chloroform that had been used to put him to sleep. The smell had diminished some but it was still there and if you weren't careful you could easily pass out from the use of it. Joe shook the man that was there and passed out. He wouldn't' wake up though. 'What else did they use besides chloroform?'  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Mr. Hardy." A woman's voice suggested.  
  
-Another part of the building-  
  
"Good he's here. He's a little late though." He looked out the window he didn't see the one that he wanted but he had just landed in the roof of the building.  
  
"Sir I have the books all packed on the plane and ready to go." Ned looked around the room. "Why isn't the buyer here yet?" He didn't like this one bit.  
  
"He's here." A voice announced right behind him.  
  
"You know your security is a bit lax around here. I caught a young man trying to get to the agent that you had tied up in another room."  
  
The he was a she and she was definitely a sight to behold. Long blond hair and blue eyes added on with a graceful body seemed to glide across the floor even with a gun in her hand. She walked straight past Ned and toward the other man in the room. "Father, how are you doing?" She hugged him and turned to Ned that was still standing there.  
  
"Who may I ask is this handsome young man?" She began to saunter his way and play with the ends of his hair with her other hand rubbing across his chest.  
  
Androa Newman gave one of his evil chuckles. "You can have him daughter. When you get through him let me know because I have some unfinished business to attend to."  
  
Ned was almost paralyzed. This isn't what I had planned. Who are she and what is she doing here? Were only some of the questions that were running through his mind.  
  
"Relax." She coaxed pushing him up against the wall where she began to shower kisses on his neck.  
  
-Androa Newman-  
  
Androa Newman watched the scene as it happened. He was proud of his daughter. She had Ned pinned up against the wall in such a way that he could only get away that he wouldn't be able to get away if she didn't want him to. It didn't look like she wanted him to. She was enjoying kissing the man too much. Her hand had made its way under his shirt. He walked off smirking. There would be no interrupting that. His daughter could make a man sweat wanting her.  
  
He went to the man that was waiting on him. "Now do you have the money? You don't get the cargo yet. I have it but I want to have some proof that you have the money."  
  
Joe was outside the door listening to what was being said. It was a good thing that his watch was equipped with a recorder because that was going to be his proof.  
  
"Yeah, I have the money. He was shown the money that he was referring to. Joe pulled a little camera out of his pocket and placed to where there would be a good view as to what was going on.  
  
"Now where is that lovely daughter of yours?" The man asked.  
  
"She's keeping my second busy." He responded with a smirk.  
  
"Hmmm. I hope that you're taping it. I like to watch her keep the young men busy." Joe decided that this was a good time to interrupt the conversation of the sick men.  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure to get the action. I'm sure that he doesn't want everyone to watch him kissing a woman." Joe walked into the room. He carried a gun that he was he had taken off of one the lame brained guards that he knocked out earlier.  
  
"I thought that my daughter secured you." The shock of seeing Joe stand there before him wore off very quickly.  
  
"I told you what I wanted you to know." A female's voice walked in followed by the second.  
  
You could hear some fighting going on outside. "I think that it is over." Ned smiled at them.  
  
He looked at the woman momentarily. "Would you like the honor?" He inquired.  
  
She took the handcuffs that he handed to her. "I'd be honored." She grinned.  
  
Androa Newman was so shocked that he didn't put up much of a fight. He only asked, "Why?"  
  
"It broke Mom's heart when she found out what you were doing. She died because of what you were doing." His daughter answered.  
  
Ned began to handcuff the buyer only to be thrown up against the wall. Joe went into a fighting stance. "No you don't." He sent a flying kick toward the man and the buyer was met by Ned in the back of him. He tried to throw a kick toward Ned but Ned had caught his foot and sent him twisting in the air landing on his shoulder.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ned placed the handcuffs around his wrists.  
  
Joe looked aghast at what had just happened. The woman that had tried to put him under lock and key turned out to be a good guy and the daughter of the guy they were after. Ned had turned up to help him get these other guys.  
  
"Joe you can close your mouth now." Ned commented as he walked outside to see the last of the guards being arrested by the help of Frank and Nancy. He handed the guys off to one of the agents that were waiting outside for the leaders of the group.  
  
"Nancy, I'm sorry." Ned walked up to her after everything was finished.  
  
She looked at him with sad eyes and didn't know what to say. Frank looked at him expecting some explanations.  
  
Don't look at me like that Frank." Ned felt bad enough as it is.  
  
"I think that you have some explaining to do." Frank looked like he was ready to slap him.  
  
"I know. I can explain. Just not here." Ned nodded his head.  
  
"Nan, you ready to go? We still need to call Bess and tell her that everything is alright." Frank asked.  
  
Nancy shook her head. "Ned we'll meet you at The Chateau."  
  
"Take good care of her Frank. She's a good woman."  
  
"She wasn't good enough for you was she." The comment was said loud enough only for Ned to hear.  
  
"No." He responded. "I couldn't hold on to her." Ned disappeared to talk to an agent that was asking him questions.  
  
-Three days later-  
  
"You may kiss the bride." The preacher announced to them.  
  
Nancy was standing on the stairs watching one of her best friends being whisked away by the last man that would ever have her heart. 'One of these days I will be the one to get married. To whom I don't know though.' She looked out over the crowd to see Frank's smiling eyes upon her as well as Ned in the back of the church in the shadows watching sadly knowing that he had lost his love. - - - Okay guys you know the drill you must read and give me an honest review. Forgive me for any mistakes that you find. I've been working really hard today and am now kind of tired. I hope you enjoy the final chapter of this story. 


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